grayestofghosts: A cartoon cat looking into a coffee cup (coffee cat)
[personal profile] grayestofghosts
Yes, I finished Moby Dick by Herman Melville. I listened to it on audio so that's probably why I was able to finish. I did like it, but I was maybe not paying as close attention to it as I should have. A lot of people have complained about the passages that are just random spurious whale information but I did not find that particularly unpleasant. I liked the reader's voice and I guess the experience of most of the book became some sort of whale ASMR.

I remember hearing a lot of hate for this book when I was an adolescent that I don't really think is warranted. The style, which dips between narrative and information with some bizarre script-like stylistic flourishes honestly reminded me of some pieces of modern media, like Homestuck. Maybe these segments weren't particularly well-done but I think people demanding a straightforward narrative from books, especially ones like this, are misguided. Then again I did not have a high school literature teacher breathing down my neck demanding an interpretation about the whiteness of the whale, though, honestly, I have some opinions about that too.

Anyway if you want the same experience I listened to the version narrated by Pete Cross. It's a bit under 24 hours long and available through Audible and probably otherwise.

Date: 2020-01-30 04:23 am (UTC)
ritaxis: (Default)
From: [personal profile] ritaxis
I tell people that the key to getting Moby Dick is to understand it as an extended standup routine. Hear all that whale stuff in a passionate,maniacally cackling voice. Then I think you get the spirit of Herman Melville.

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